Sliding door opening mechanism



Oct. 22;, 1963 c. w. BOAZ ETAL 3,107,616 SLIDING DOOR OPENING MECHANISM Filed March 14, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. CHARLES W. BOAZ CHARLES J. L|TZ,J'R.

' ATTORNEYS;

Oct. 22, 1963 c. w. BOAZ ETAL SLIDING DOOR OPENING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 14, 1961 N mzu mm J VBU a mWJ mm P CC U B NQE ATTORNEYS 3-, 1 Q16 1 6 Patented Got. 22., l 963 3,107,616 SLKDING DQOR GPENING MECHANISM (Iharles W. Benz, Willow Grove, and Charles .i. Litz, 51a,

Phiiadelphia, Pa, assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed Mar. 14, 1961, Ser- No. 95,754 Ciaims. (Cl. 10261) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), see. 256) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to systems or mechanisms for operating sliding doors and more particularly to a system for operating a sliding door which is required to be flush with its surrounding surface when closed.

It is sometimes desirable to launch objects from inside missiles while they are in flight. This involves the problem of restoring the exterior surface of the missile to its original contour after the discharge of the object. In the solution of this problem, it is desirable that the door be within the missile while open, remain open only during a predetermined time interval, and be flush with its surrounding surface when closed. The present invention accomplishes these results by the provision of a novel door mounting and a novel mechanism for operating this mounting to open and close the door.

The invention will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings and its scope is indicated by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates the general outline of a missile to which the present invention is applicable,

FIG. 2 shows a part of the missile with its outer Wall broken away to show its inner construction and to show the relation of the door and its operating mechanism to other parts of the missile,

PEG. 3 is a view taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2 showing the closed position of the door in full lines and the open position of the door in broken lines,

FIG. 4 is a view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2 showin the relation between certain parts of the mechanism by which the door is operated,

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a reciprocating mechanism whereby the door is moved from its closed position and is returned thereto after a predetermined time delay,

FIG. 6 illustrates a filter through which the operating gas is passed for reversing the movement of the mechanism, and

FIG. 7 shows the shape of certain keys which are utilized to lock a firing pin in the back end of a piston during its forward movement.

As indicated by FIG. 1, the missile has an outer Wall it? in which are a plurality of openings 11 and 12. As shown more clearly in FIG. 2, each of these openings leads into a compartment 13 or 1 which encloses an object (not shown) and contains means such as an explosive cartridge 15 or 16 for ejecting the object from the missile. The door 17 to the compartment 13 is shown in its open position and the door 13 to the compartment 14 is shown as closed. All the doors have the same type of mount and operating mechanism. These features are therefore described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 4 which show the details of the door 17.

The mount of the door 17 includes tracks 19 and 2% which are pivoted or hinged at a point 21 near one side of the opening 11. Fixed to the opposite sides of the door 17 are links 22 and 23 which are connected to the cores of spring biased solenoids 24 and 25, and rollers 26 and 27 which are movable along the tracks 1-9 and 2% wvhen door is drawn inwardly by the solenoids 24 and 25 against the force exerted by the springs (not shown) of the solenoids. The operating coils of the solenoids Z4 and 25 are mechanically coupled to the operating rods 28 and '29 of thrusters 3i and 31, the cylinders 32 and 33 of which are fixed to the outer wall of the compartment 13. As hereinafter explained in greater detail, the door 17 is forced into the opening 11 by the springs of the solenoids 2d and 25 when closed and is retracted inwardly upon enengization of the solenoids. When so retracted, it is moved to and from the opening by the thrusters 3t and 31.

The structure of these thrusters is indicated by FIGS. 5 to 7. Since they are identical, a description of the thruster 31 is sufficient for a complete understanding of the invention.

This thruster includes a cylinder 33 having an open area 34 on its inner periphery. A piston 35 movable in the cylinder 33 has a rod 29 which is extensible therefrom. A cartridge fired in the chamber 36 generates a gas pressure which is applied to the back of the piston 35 and drives it forward thereby extending the rod 29 from the cylinder 3-3.

Enclosed in the piston 35 is a firing pin 37 which has an O-ring 38 and is locked to the piston by kidney-shaped keys 39. Arranged to be fired by the pin 37 is a cartridge 40 to the forward side of which is a firing chamber '41. This chamber opens through a duct 42 into the cylinder 33 at a point ahead of the piston 35. Between the duct &2 and the chamber 41 is a filter 43. This filter functions to exclude solid particles from the cylinder and is in the form of a bolt threaded into the forward end of the chamber 41. As indicated by FIG. 6, it has a plurality of radial passageways 44 terminating inwardly in a single axial passageway 45. The form of the kidney-shaped keys 39 is indicated by FIG. 7 which depicts side and sectional views of them.

With reference to the operation of the system, it is to be understood that the cartridge located in the chamber 36 may be tired in proper sequence by [any of the various means well 'known to those skilled in the art, and that the cartridge 46 contains a delay element through which there is provided a predetermined time delay between the firing of the cartridges which function to extend and retract the rod 29. In this manner, the door 17 is retained open long enough to insure free passage or" the object ejected from the compartment.

Inter-connecting hoses 46 and 47 are provided at both ends of the thrusters 3i and 31 to alleviate unequal pressure build up between the two thrusters which would result in cocking of the door. This unequal pressure is a result of inherent diiierences in the propellant charges and thruster designs.

The piston 35 and rod 29 are initially locked or secured by the shear ring 48, and not until sufficient pressure from cartridge 41 builds up behind piston 35 will the ring shear, allowing the thruster to operate.

Operation of the system is initiated by energizing the solenoids 24 and 25. This rotates the track 13 about pin '21 and pulls the door 17 inward so that the door may be moved transversely of the opening 11. Firing of the cartridge in the chamber 36 drives the piston 35 and rod 29 forward opening the door, and firing of the cartridge 15 generates a gas pressure by which the object is ejected from compartment 13. As the piston 35 moves, the keys 3% are brought to the open area 34- where they are cammed outwardly by the pressure on the back of the firing pin. This releases the firing pin vwhich is driven forward by the gas pressure and fires the cartridge 40. The gas pressure thus generated in the chamber 41 is applied through the filter 43 and the duct 42 to the front of the piston thereby retracting the rod 29 and 3 moving the door 17 to a position where the solenoid spring can move it outwardly into the opening 11.

We claim:

1. In a system for delivering an object from a moving missile, the combination therewith ofa compartment located within said missle and terminating in an opening through the wall thereof, a track pivoted to said wall at a point adjacent one side of said opening, a door rotatable by said track to bring its edges into and out of engagement with the edges of said opening and movable along said track only when said edges are disengaged, means for rotating said track and said door to disengage said edges, and door control means for moving said door from said opening and for returning it thereto ar'ter a predetermined interval of time,

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein said track rotating means is a solenoid spring biased to a position where the edges of said door engage the edges of said opening. 7

3. A system according to claim 2 wherein said door control means includes a thruster connected to said door through said solenoid and adapted to fire one cartridge for moving said door away from said opening and to fire another cartridge after a predetermined time interval for returning said door to said opening.

4. A system according to claim 1 wherein said compartment encloses means for ejecting an object therefrom upon the opening of said door.

5. In a system for delivering an object from a moving missile, the combination of means forming within said missile a compartment terminating in an opening through the Wall thereof, a track pivoted to said Wall adjacent one side of said opening, a door supported by and movable along said track, a solenoid having an operating coil and a core, said core being coupled to said track and spring biased to aline the edges of said door with the edges of said opening only when said coil is deenergized, a thruster having a cylinder fixed to said wall and having a piston movable in said cylinder, and a rod interconnecting said piston and said operating coil whereby said door is moved along said track upon successive energization of said coil and said thruster.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,504,311 Dunn 1- Apr. 18, 1950 2,634,656 \Voollens et al. Apr. 14, 1953 2,641,961 Bussiere et al. June 16, 953 2,658,792 Scott Nov, 10, 1953 2,780,961 Musser et al. Feb. 12, 1957 2,935,971 Stott et al. May 10, 1960 2,937,573 Gantschn-igg May 24, 1960 2,945,439 Bil-inski July 19, 1960 2,984,211 Schneider May 16, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 543,034 Great Britain Feb. 6, 1942 

1. IN A SYSTEM FOR DELIVERING AN OBJECT FROM A MOVING MISSILE, THE COMBINATION THEREWITH OF A COMPARTMENT LOCATED WITHIN SAID MISSLE AND TERMINATING IN AN OPENING THROUGH THE WALL THEREOF, A TRACK PIVOTED TO SAID WALL AT A POINT ADJACENT ONE SIDE OF SAID OPENING, A DOOR ROTATABLE BY SAID TRACK TO BRING ITS EDGES INTO AND OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE EDGES OF SAID OPENING AND MOVABLE ALONG SAID TRACK ONLY WHEN SAID EDGES ARE DISENGAGED. 